Escape from Five Shadows (1956) by Elmore Leonard Read Free Book Online

She always seemed to be lounging, watching something going on, but never taking part herself. He turned to Salvaje again. I said pick him up.
    Bowen was again lifted to his feet, but this time staggered and almost went down before Renda could reach him. Renda's hand caught the front of his shirt. He held Bowen momentarily, then dropped his hand as he shifted his weight and he hit Bowen in the face as hard as he could swing his fist.
    He stepped back then, his eyes raising from Bowen to Salvaje. Throw him in with Pryde. They'll think about it over bread and water for a while. He paused. Say twenty days. That's a good round number.
    Lizann watched Renda hand Salvaje a key; then Salvaje made a sign and two of his Mimbres lifted Bowen to his feet. He stood between them, his shoulders raised awkwardly by the support of their hands under his arms. His legs moved as they led him away, following Salvaje, but his head hung heavily, chin against chest, and Lizann realized that he was barely conscious.
    Her eyes followed as they took him across the compound to the convicts' barracks, then along the wind-scarred adobe front of it, past five doors to the sixth one, the punishment cell.
    She was thinking of her husband, comparing him to this man Bowen, and wondering if he could have taken half the beating Bowen did.
    No, Bowen was a different breed a man who would undoubtedly again try to escape, even if failure meant another beating and a longer period in the punishment cell. A man, Lizann reflected, who would go to any extreme to escape. Any extreme.
    She saw Salvaje open the heavy door, the two Mimbres move inside with Bowen, then reappear, one carrying the length of rope that had fastened Bowen's hands, then Salvaje padlock the door again, and she continued to think of Bowen, though no longer comparing him to her husband.
    Pryde sat against one wall, his legs straight out in front of him. Fifteen feet away, Bowen lay on his side, his face resting on the hard-packed dirt floor. Above him was the outline of a window. It had been bricked in, all of it except a narrow space where the top row of bricks would have gone. This opening ventilated the six-by-fifteen-foot cell, and now it framed a thin line of outside light, a faint ray that penetrated the dimness of the room to show Pryde's face in a pale streak against the wall.
    He waited until Bowen stirred. Then he said, Corey his voice clear in the stillness though it was barely above a whisper.
    Bowen raised his head. Ike'ais that you? His face was numb and swollen tight and as he spoke he could not feel his lips move.
    It's me, Pryde said.
    Bowen came up on his elbow. Ike, I'm sorry. His eyes narrowed as if to see through the dimness. Ike, did you go after Brazil?
    Pryde's head nodded.
    Why'd you do it?
    I don't know, I saw him trying to bring up that Winchester and I went for him'agot him off the horse and hit him once, but that's all.
    I'm obliged to you, Ike.
    Pryde said nothing.
    And he gave it back to you over the head.
    Pryde's eyes moved. He gave me more than that. When we got back here, Renda said, 'yLearn him a lesson,' and Brazil went and got a pick handle to do it with.
    Bowen crawled over to him. You hurt bad?
    I don't know. I can't move my back.
    Your arms are swollen.
    I think I'm swollen about all over. He said then, still calmly, Listen'ayou got to know something.
    We have a long time to talk, Bowen said. Go to sleep now.
    Listen to me! Pryde's voice rose. But he relaxed again as he said, After Renda emptied his shotgun, he ran back to where we were. Brazil fired then, but it was too late. I was on the ground and my head buzzed like hell. That's why I'm not sure of the exact words'athough the meaning was plain enough.
    Bowen shook his head. I don't follow you.
    You will. Renda looked like he wanted to kill somebody. Pryde went on, But there wasn't anything he could do. Then he yelled out, 'yYou said not till the grade!' or words just like that.
    Bowen frowned. He said that